Hibiscus
by jax2u
Summary: Something's wrong with Janet; Eddie sends her flowers not knowing something is wrong.


It was late afternoon and Janet was working at Sully's as usual. She wasn't her normal chatty self and was feeling a little blue. She kept to herself most of the day. Accept when she had to deal with customers. She put on a fake smile and pretended everything was just peachy.

"Delivery for Janet Meadows!" A tall high school boy came into the bar holding an enormous bouquet of bright yellow and light pink hibiscuses wrapped from the local flower shop.

"Yeah that's me." She signed for the flowers and started to unwrap them. She figured they were from Eddie but didn't know why he sent them so out of the blue. The instant the plastic wrapping was off, she could smell their fresh sweet scent. Then she noticed a card tucked within the pedals; she opened the blank envelope and read inside the card…

"J-

I never told you this before but every morning on my way to work I pass by the flower shop. They usually change the main display in the front window every day, but without fail they always have these stunning hibiscuses on display too. They remind me of you so much. They are always perky, their color is so bright and they are just, perfectly put together. Like you. (I also found out that they mean delicate beauty.) I know roses are your favorite but something told me to go into the flower shop today and buy my girl these stunning flowers. I don't know what it is about today, but I hope these put that beautiful smile on your face when you get them. If you wanna talk, just call me. If nothing is wrong then I'll see you when I come there later.

E.

P.S. I already talked to Sully and he said you can keep these there till your shift is over, so I better see them at the front of the bar when I walk in the door."

She smiled for the first time that day.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon every time Janet saw those 24 hibiscuses on the bar, she thought of Eddie and knew she would see him soon. Just the thought of seeing him later made it easier for her to get through her shift and she knew the sadness would soon be gone.

Sure enough, the first thing Eddie saw when he walked in the bar was the flowers he sent Janet earlier that day. It made him happy that she put them on the bar because that meant they made her happy. Janet was busy taking a table's order so Eddie just went and sat at the bar.

Sully walked up to him and said "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Those flowers changed her mood like night and day. How do you know the perfect way to make a girl change like that? I've been married three times and I _still_ don't know!"

Eddie chuckled and simply said "You just gotta know her." Sully sighed, gave Eddie his Draft and walked away.

Janet then saw her boy friend was there, quickly went over to him and hugged him from behind. Eddie moved her arms around him so she would have to move too. "Hi. I see you got my flowers."

"Uh hu." She just smiled at him, clearly happy but he could tell in her eyes she was sad.

"That's not my girl's perfect smile I was talking about… it's a smile but nor your smile."

"How did you know? How did you know that today I needed them..."

"I didn't. I'm just glad I sent them… I can tell something's been bothering you. Sully even said something was off with you today."

"Sully noticed? I thought I was hiding it pretty well when dealing with customers. Apparently not well enough." She sighed and he kissed her gently on the lips. She tasted like her favorite lip gloss, sweet raspberry. He loved that lip gloss and she knew it too.

"What goes on? Do you have a break left you can take so we can go outside and talk?"

"No, I've been here a long time. I get off in a half hour though. We can take my perfect flowers back to my place and talk there."

Eddie was about to answer her but Sully cut him off saying "Take her out of here, now!"

"But Sully, we're getting busy again, I can stay."

"No, you're not. Eddie take this girl home… I need her back to normal by tomorrow." They all laughed and Janet went to get her coat as Eddie got the bouquet flowers.

* * *

By the time they got to her house it was dark outside. They made a quick dinner and sat across the table from each other. Eddie looked at her curiously, awaiting her to explain why she was not herself.

She noticed he was staring at her and decided to finally open her heart to him. "Ok, fine I'll tell you. Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I know it was a while ago and probably seems silly that it still upsets me so much, but you don't ever really get over it, ya know."

He put his fork down and took Janet's fork out of her hand too. It's not like it mattered much, she was just playing with her food anyway. Then he held her hand and continued to listen.

"I was more close to her than my dad, he was more the protector type then compassionate."

"Yeah I remember being kinda scared of the guy… still am!" He always knew how to make her smile when she was feeling down. She chuckled and rested her head in her other hand. "But hey J, it's ok to mourn your mother. I mean she's your mom. I get it. It will always be a little painful and hard I think."

"The thing that gets me Eddie are those damn hibiscuses. They were _her_ favorite. And you go and send me two dozen of them…"

"Oh God baby, I'm so sorry. I, I didn't know… I would have never done it if I knew."

She moved her head out of her hand and grabbed his other hand. "No it's ok! You'd think it would have upset me even more, but in a strange way it made things better. Helped put her to rest just a little bit more…"

"Well I think talking about her and remembering the good times _does_ help. Otherwise if you don't deal with it, you'll always have that pain lingering inside you and it will only get worse."

"You think?"

"Yeah, I do… so, where do you keep old family photo albums?" He got up from the table and began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Why do you want to know where my pictures are?"

"Because we are going to look at them, and you are going to tell me embarrassing stories from your childhood that you hoped to lock away in that lovely head of yours forever!"

"Oh snap."


End file.
